Our Eclipse GT was a V-6. It's the basic 3.0-liter from the Galant, slightly retuned for Eclipse chores to offer 15 more horsepower. Combine this added power with a five-speed manual transmission, and the Eclipse spanks its donor vehicle with a 6.9-second 0-60-mph time. That's not as fast as the quickest Eclipse ('95 GS-T) we tested at 6.4 seconds, but with its broader power delivery, most drivers will likely find it to be the superior engine.The higher-torque, lower-horsepower, naturally aspirated V-6 in the new Eclipse is quicker off the line, but slower in the quarter mile than the old turbo-and-intercooled I-4. But with a swift 15.3-second 91.3-mph quarter-mile performance, it's still plenty quick.

Ultimate handling was shy of the previous car's abilities, but again, the extra 2 inches in wheelbase and the more comfort-oriented Galant-derived ride quality give the new Eclipse agreeable handling manners, where the old car took more driver talent to extract its highter ultimate handling performance. The new Eclipse dodged through the slalom cones at 63.9 mph and lapped the skidpad at 0.79 g -both figures reflecting the recast Eclipse's shifted priorities.All things considered, the new car's suspension setup is superior in normal driving, especially on concrete freeways, urban streets, and steep driveways that used to make the previous car protest. As far as the raw performance numbers are concerned, it's obvious that the Eclipse has gone to finishing school-not racing school-in its latest iteration. Where the previous GS-T was quite quick but a little crude, the new GT is now commendably speedy, but far more smooth and refined. Overall, it's a much better car than before-it's just less of a sports car now-and, starting at about $17,000, is a strong value to boot.